North Carolina Tar Heels: Justin Jackson Returns
The North Carolina Tar Heels look to take another run at the ACC Basketball Championship with the return of forward Justin Jackson.
The North Carolina Tar Heels gained a player back yesterday when soon to be junior forward Justin Jackson gave up the ghost on his pro chances in an everybody wins situation. Tar Heels fans get Jackson back and another shot at the NCAA Tournament.
Jackson got lots of feedback on how to be a more attractive NBA prospect perhaps signaling a breakout year. Finally Coach Roy Williams got to support one of his players support their own careers to the very limit.
So first let’s look at what the Tar Heels have in the starting five right now. Kennedy Meeks, Joel Berry, and Jackson return as starters. Isaiah Hicks seems like an easy promotion into the starting power forward spot. That leaves an opening at shooting guard.
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With Marcus Paige gone, my guess is that Williams will go to the big lineup he had planned on before Paige got hurt and Berry emerged last season. That would mean Theo Pinson moving into the starting lineup. So you would likely have a lineup of five guys who have played together in the past.
Incoming freshman Tony Bradley likely becomes the third post with sophomore Luke Maye as the fourth man in that department.
Nate Britt likely becomes the full time backup point guard while the two incoming freshmen Seventh Woods and Brandon Robinson full in the spots behind Pinson and Jackson. Kenny Williams also likely sees an increased role given his usefulness as a defensive pressure guy last season.
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Woods and Robinson are unknowns so they could challenge Pinson for the starting spot, but I doubt that either of them unseat Theo this season. Pinson does a number of things and there should be enough offense on the court to allow for him to settle in a Jackie Manuel/Marcus Ginyard type role for this team.
The Tar Heels will face challenges in the conference next year (as if this year was somehow a cakewalk). Georgia Tech and Pitt have added new coaches. Josh Pastner puts a recruiter in the head chair in Atlanta for the first time since Paul Hewitt. Kevin Stallings puts a very Roy-familiar coach in charge at Pitt and likely ends the secret scrimmages that we had with Vanderbilt when Stallings was there.
Next: Tar Heels: Everything Must Go
Naturally Duke has reloaded and pried Grayson Allen back from the pros and will be a stronger next year even without Derryck Thornton. Louisville will be postseason eligible again. So 2016-7 is shaping up to be a good time in the ACC with a lot of great games in store for the Tar Heels.